


Heartbeats

by salesman



Series: Overloaded: Solas POV & Other Stories [6]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, POV Solas, POV Third Person, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 18:53:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4030840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salesman/pseuds/salesman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Solas hasn't seen Anna today and is curious about what she's doing...</p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="small"><strong>AU oneshot</strong> in Overloaded... probably also around <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/3487133/chapters/7964619">Ch 32: Poke Her Face</a>.</span>
  </em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heartbeats

He should not have followed her. He knew he shouldn’t have. But she hadn’t stopped by his study the entire day, and this was unusual. What was his da’len up to?

And he hadn’t exactly “followed” her either, but rather _felt_ her location through the Veil. Anna had a unique presence that Solas had only recently noticed. The Veil gathered around her differently, stretching a bit thinner, as if her spirit were too large for it to handle. Odd, but it made it easier to find her.

She had gone to the old library in the lower level of Skyhold—a place almost always deserted. No one came to this room, not even the servants, which was obvious from the dusty state of it. Tomes lined the shelves, many so old that few people could still read their texts.

Solas had come here a few times, looking for books in Elvhen about foci and magic. He had found a couple references on the subject written in Tevene, but it almost always sounded biased and ill-researched. Why had Anna chosen this place?

She had left the door open luckily, making it easier to spy. He peered around the corner, half-hidden by a wooden bookshelf. She was sitting in a tall armchair, her legs tucked underneath her body. A large tome lied open in her lap, and she had propped her chin upon an elbow, intently reading.

It was the first time he had seen her today, and Anna’s attire was almost shocking. She was wearing a thin white dress, and it had a rather open neck, hanging loosely upon her shoulders. It _was_ summertime now, Solas supposed, but he had never seen her dressed so... scantily. Her legs were bare, as were her arms, since the dress was short-sleeved as well.

Anna turned a page in the book, and the broad parchment pushed a gust of air towards her, blowing some hair lightly around her face. She reached towards the hair instinctively, pushing some strands behind her ear. Solas noticed the bareness of her collarbone then... wasn’t she cold? The air was musty and chilled in the library, and her simple dress could not possibly keep her warm enough... but then again, his da’len _was_ a very hot-blooded woman.

A loud sound interrupted his thoughts—it was the slam of the door behind him. Apparently, there had been a cross-breeze in the hall that had pushed it shut. It made him jump in surprise, and Anna looked up from the noise.

“Oh,” she said, not even looking startled. “It’s you,” she commented absently.

Solas felt a tinge of aggravation from the way she off-handedly greeted him, but he pushed the feeling away as he approached her seat. “What are you reading, da’len?” he asked, pointedly keeping his voice calm and collected.

She sighed. “Some book about the Dales. I was curious about what the elves did after the pantheon disappeared.” She glanced up at him and smiled, and it made his chest ache to see her look so brightly at him. It was such a warm, genuine expression, and he instantly chided himself for being upset by her indifferent greeting mere moments before.

“Maybe you could help me, hahren,” she perked up suddenly. “There are some passages in Elvish here that I can’t read, so it’d be nice if you could translate them for me.” She turned the tome so he could see the said inscriptions, although it was a somewhat awkward maneuver due to the size of the book. “Only if you want to, of course.”

Solas smiled, coming to the side of her chair so he could look over her shoulder. “I would be happy to, da’len.” He examined the Elvhen symbols, his eyes quickly skimming over the words. “These are chants, Anna. Old hymns to praise the gods.”

“Oh, really?!” she exclaimed, apparently excited by the idea. “Is there a song to you in there?”

Solas chuckled. Her enthusiasm about his days as Fen’Harel always astonished him. “No, da’len,” he said. “These are specifically for Mythal.”

“I see,” Anna replied, humming quietly. She lightly touched one of the Elvhen symbols with her forefinger. “I’d like to learn Elvish one day,” she remarked. She gazed up at him again. “Would you teach me, Solas?”

He raised a brow. Her desire to learn his native language delighted him, the thought of speaking to someone wholly in Elvhen again... And Anna was clever, she could certainly learn. It would take some time, of course, but he was positive she could at least learn to speak it.

“It would not be the most useful of languages to learn, da’len,” he warned, hiding all signs of his joy from her. “Surely Orlesian or even Antivan would be more advantageous.”

Anna laughed. “Of _course_ it would be useful, hahren,” she contended. “I would be able to read all those random ancient elven statues, and be able to talk to you.” She laughed again, shaking her head as she thought about it. “I could talk about your wolfy-ness all I wanted, without anyone ever knowing!”

She closed the book, heaving it onto the table beside her. “So will you teach me?” she asked as she turned back to Solas.

It was difficult for Solas to stop himself from smiling. He considered his da’len, picturing her speaking in fluent Elvhen. Her use of the common tongue was always so creative, and he wondered what new inventions she would bring to his language...

“Yes,” he agreed after a moment. “I can teach you, although I have no experience in ever doing so.”

“Yay!” she exclaimed. She clapped her hands together and bounced in her seat. “You’re the best, Solas, the absolute best!”

It was then that he noticed, and he really _shouldn’t_ have noticed. No, he should not have looked that way, downwards towards her... He just did it again, and he derided himself for the repeated misstep.

Anna certainly _was_ cold, and wearing very little, it appeared, as the hardened points of her breasts were now prodding through her clothing _quite_ clearly. He immediately busied his eyes with a skull on a shelf across the room, intensely examining the bone.

“Solas?” Anna asked, the confusion in her tone very apparent.

Out of politeness, he gazed her way again, and regretted it instantly. She had repositioned herself on the chair, sitting on her knees with both hands supporting her on the seat... The position brought her shoulders closer together, causing the sleeves of her dress to fall down her arms, exposing even more delicate skin.

She was still  _modest_ , he supposed, but it was extremely distracting, and he could not help but follow the curve of her collarbone with his eyes, the way it turned downwards towards her... No, he would not look again. What was he thinking? He had violated her with his eyes twice already, and still he thought... Three times now. Yes, he had done it again. And this time he noticed the subtle curves that peeked out of the hem of her dress, the beginnings of what surely were to be very _agreeable_ female parts.

He turned from her to prevent himself from any further observations. “It will take time to learn Elvhen,” he said finally, and he cursed his voice for sounding so low, so obviously huskier than before.

“Well, I don’t have anything else to do, so I’m _pretty_ sure I can make time,” she replied with a laugh. She shivered then, and Solas heard the tiny clatter of her teeth. “It’s so _creepy_ in this library, hahren,” she commented. “And _cold_ , too!”

Had she worn more acceptable clothing, this would not be a problem. But he would not voice this opinion. “Humans cannot acclimate to cold as well as elves,” he remarked instead, and he internally berated himself for the lame attempt at conversation.

But Anna was intrigued. “Oh?” she chimed. “Are you not cold right now?” And then she took his hand in one of her own, and Solas nearly lost it. “Wow, you _are_ warm!”

Her skin did indeed feel like ice, and he pitied her for it. It was not healthy to be so cold, and he wished to help his da’len. Solas curled his fingers around hers, gently pulling her arm closer to him. He lightly traced a small fire glyph into her skin, just enough to warm.

She shivered again, but this time from the sudden change in temperature. “Mmm,” she moaned, and the sound sent a shiver down his own spine, prickling gooseflesh along his neck. “Thank you.”

He nodded silently, and his eyes unintentionally caught the way her head tilted slightly from the new feeling of warmth, exposing her neck as she pushed some hair behind her shoulder.

Solas swallowed. The sight of her skin, so soft and smooth-looking, gave him a distressing amount of pleasure, and it quickened his heart and heated his face.

“Hahren?” she asked, tugging on his hand again. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, da’len,” he assured. “You have no need to worry.”

She pulled his hand to her face, lightly pressing his fingers to the tip of her nose. “Is my nose still cold?” she giggled, releasing his hand.

Solas smiled from the ridiculousness of her question. She always had the most peculiar suggestions. “No,” he answered, bending a bit lower to match her seated height. He removed his hand, but lingered a moment, hovering before her cheek. He was so close, so close to her skin, the skin of the crook of her neck that had become so mesmerizing to him.

One quick touch and that would be all. That would be all he needed in order to know what it felt like and be satisfied. He laid his fingers there, upon that beautiful spot, and yes, it was just as silky as he had imagined. Like a satin, a lovely satin that he could happily bury his face into.

“What are you doing...?” Anna asked, sounding very perplexed now.

Solas quickly withdrew his hand, clasping it with the other behind his back and staring at a bookshelf again. “I was... Isn’t it time for dinner soon? It would be a shame to miss the first course.” It was a poor attempt to change the subject, but better than trying to explain.

“I think we already missed it,” she replied, suddenly rising to stand before him. She was quite close, as well, barely a breath away.

He met her gaze, and nearly jumped from what he found there. She looked quite serious, which was unusual for his da’len, and the furrow in her brow made her seem almost...  _suspicious_. Of him. He had to leave immediately.

He turned away, muttering something about dinner again, but she stopped him by the arm. “ _Wait_ ,” she hissed. “There’s one more thing I’d like you to explain to me.”

She pulled him by the arm to the table and opened the same book she had been reading earlier. It took a few moments, but she eventually found the page she was searching for. She crossed her arms—pushing her breasts even closer together, Solas regretfully noticed—and leaned one hip against the table. “What does this passage mean?” she asked, gesturing to the page with a cock of her head.

He couldn’t read the Elvhen fast enough. Solas quickly scoured the symbols, finding some meaning about the Vir Tanadahl. “It speaks of the Way of Three Trees,” he quickly answered. “Have you heard of this philosophy?”

“Mmm, okay,” Anna replied inattentively, as if she hadn’t been listening. She was staring at something. His chest, it seemed, and when she placed a hand on it, he instantly tensed with panic.

“Your heart’s beating pretty fast...” she observed, pressing her palm into his tunic. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, da’len, I am perfectly fine,” he lied. Although, technically, not a lie as he _was_ fine. Wasn’t he? This was simply a natural physical reaction, nothing more.

“You can tell me things, you know,” she said, continuing to hold her hand there. “Things that are bothering you...”

“You misinterpret my behavior, Anna,” Solas replied. “There is nothing.”

“No, there’s _something_ ,” she said, sliding herself between the desk and his body. She placed her ear to his chest now, sending him in a near frenzy. “Hearts don’t beat like this without a good reason...”

“ _Anna_ ,” he said, tipping her chin with his hand so that she would meet his eyes again. He had to stop her before it got worse. “I...”

But her expression distracted him. She was very focused on his eyes, pupils dilated and nearly completely covering her irises. She was breathing quite quickly as well, his da’len, and he could tell by the heavy rise and fall of her chest, that wonderful chest that he had to force himself to look away from. But why was _she_ responding this way—?

Ah. This feeling was mutual. She, too, had that look of desire upon her face, a heady want increased by their close contact.

It was impossible to ignore such a creature. She was beautiful and kind, always wanting to know about him and somehow getting him to laugh. She was a conundrum. An exquisite puzzle that he eagerly wanted to piece together. How long had he felt this way about her? It had been some time, it seemed.

Yes, this was why he had followed her. He loved her. It wasn't even curiosity in what she was doing, but purely the need to be near her.

His fingers moved to cupping her face, and he slowly drew closer to her. He pressed his forehead to hers, taking slow, deep breaths. She had closed her eyes, and her cheeks were flushed beautifully.

Anna was warm now, he could tell as his nose grazed along her cheekbone. Her lips were so close as his hovered before her. He could smell her, that lovely aroma that she always left behind. Oh, she was so close.

But should he kiss her? Was it wrong to do so? He wanted to so badly, there was no denying that. But how did she feel about it? Did she only want him now, in this moment? Was it just a fleeting desire, bound to disappear and be regretted the moment it occurred? He had seen her flirt with many men in Skyhold. Even Sera from time to time. Was he only a toy to be played with?

But he was so close now, so what did it really matter? Why should he hold back when she so clearly wanted him, at least in this moment?

He pressed his lips to her cheek instead. This was safer, less condemnable. But he did it slowly, as slow as he could, because the feeling of her skin upon his lips was more than delightful. It felt incredible, like his whole body had been electrified by that small touch.

She groaned, but it was not out of pleasure. “Don't do that,” she said.

“Do what?” he murmured, lips still touching her skin. Her words made him nervous, and suddenly Solas was concerned that he had completely misread the situation. Perhaps she had not wanted him to kiss her at all, and this was a violation of their friendship. But he was finding it harder and harder to pull away with each passing heartbeat...

“Don't run away,” she said, turning her face very slowly. “Don't hide.”

She raised a hand to his cheek, and her fingers curved around his jaw. She gently moved his face until his lips were parallel to hers again, though still untouching.

Yes, this was complete and unmistakable permission now. And he had known this all along, really. Known it for some time, even. But it was his own misgivings which kept him away, kept him from fulfilling his ever-growing desires to be beside her. It was more than just loving her... He was _in_ love with her, and it was only his own foolish fears which distanced him.

He kissed her, pressing his lips to hers. And oh, her _mouth_. It was soft, like her skin, and _very_ receptive to his.

He had thought about kissing her many times, though he always tried to deny it, but nothing compared to the real thing. All his fantasies and dreams—kissing her while she sat in the sofa of his study, pushing her against a tree in the courtyard, finding her in her room, smiling and greeting him sweetly—they weren't like this. He never dreamed she would feel so warm, he never imagined the pleasure she could draw from him as her tongue glided along his lower lip, her teeth gently grazing his skin. He felt lost in the feeling, and he would be content to stay there forever.

She pulled away, giggling and taking a ragged breath. “You _kissed_ me, Solas,” she wondered happily.

Solas smiled, feeling completely overcome with joy as he gazed upon her. “ _Ar lath ma_ ,” he whispered.

Her eyes widened in surprise, and he suddenly felt worried. Perhaps he had spoken too soon, and his affection alarmed her. But then again... He _had_ spoken the words in Elvhen, and Anna only knew a handful of phrases. Perhaps she was only confused by their meaning.

He opened his mouth, preparing to explain.

“I love you, too,” she answered, and smiling so brilliantly he nearly gasped from its loveliness, melting all previous doubts.

Solas returned a smile and kissed her again, holding her close. It was harder to kiss from both of their constant smiles, but somehow they made it work. Solas never ended up eating supper that evening, but he didn’t mind. He had Anna in his arms, and he never wanted to be separate again.

**Author's Note:**

> I felt really inspired the other day and wrote this. It's not exactly aligned with the Overloaded timeline, so it's kind of like an alternative universe kind of thing.
> 
> Oh, and Anna isn't wearing a bra because she has to do laundry XD


End file.
